Nestle and an anti-allergy charity have been accused of encouraging a new range of ''lunchbox friendly'' muesli bars to be allowed in playgrounds, even though they could be dangerous for people with nut allergies.

Fairfax Media can reveal that Nestle (which owns Uncle Tobys) and charity A&AA have worked together to develop the new products, and are encouraging schools and kindergartens to allow them into playgrounds. But both admit they should not be eaten by anyone with a nut allergy.

A&AA, which receives funding from Nestle, is also asking schools to reconsider bans they may have on nuts in the schoolyard.

In a case that mirrors the decision by the Heart Foundation to endorse McDonald's with a ''tick'' on some products, several doctors and parents say the tie-up between Nestle and A&AA is confusing for schools and for consumers.

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''I'm confused, and I work in the industry,'' Sydney paediatric allergist Elizabeth Pickford said. ''I think the 'lunchbox friendly' labelling is really deceptive. Mums are going to think this is a safe product when they see it.''

Last month Nestle and A&AA wrote directly to the ''student welfare officer'' at thousands of schools and kindergartens across the country. The letter has the logos of both A&AA and Nestle and is co-signed by A&AA president Maria Said and Nestle nutrition manager Susan Kevork.

''To reduce the risk to children with life-threatening nut allergies, it is common for schools to put a restriction on nuts as part of their allergy management policy,'' the letter states. ''While allergen restrictions do reduce risk, this strategy must be part of an overall management plan as risk can never be totally removed. To think so would increase risk to those with a food allergy.''

Ms Said admitted the charity had received funding from Nestle over several years, most recently a $5000 grant for its Food Allergy Awareness week.

The letter then directs schools to the A&AA website where, as a matter of policy, the charity is opposed to banning nuts from schools. ''It is impossible to think we can remove all traces of allergins from within a school environment,'' Ms Said told Fairfax Media.

''That would mean we ask kids to bring water bottles to schools, and not much more.''

Many doctors disagree.

''It's a very simple request for parents not to bring nuts to school,'' Dr Pickford said. ''Honestly, little kids need to be protected, often from themselves. To a little kid, someone else's lunchbox can seem irresistible. Often kids with an allergy will eat something from someone else's lunchbox and then not tell anyone, in case they get in trouble.''

In recent years Nestle has lost market share to several health companies that make completely nut-free products, as schools adopt strict no-nut policies.

The A&AA letter to schools does not disclose that the charity receives funding from Nestle. Other sponsors include supermarket chain Coles and Nuts For Life, a body representing the Australian tree nut industry.

Just two days before Christmas, A&AA informed its members of the tie-up with Uncle Tobys. Several angry parents have since posted complaints on its website.

''Why would A&AA encourage kids to take nut products into school at all when there are plenty of nut-free snacks available?'' wrote Geelong mum Nicole Krasic.

''I'm all for education about allergies, but the [announcement] is simply Uncle Tobys marketing a product that 'appears nut free' and a way to ensure they can still sell products to kids. I'm disappointed that A&AA would support such an idea.''

Leanne San, wrote: ''I don't get it … it can't be eaten if you have a nut allergy, so what's the benefit? Apart from a new marketing tactic?''

Nestle defended the new Uncle Tobys product.

''We've been very clear that this product range will not be suitable for nut allergy sufferers,'' spokeswoman Margaret Stuart said.

Ms Stuart said Nestle was a ''silver supporter'' of A&AA, and the charity had also been engaged to provide ''additional consulting support''. The company would not put a dollar value on that support.

11 comments so far

Whilst this push to bring nut products back into school by Nestle is an appalling example of the lack of ethical decision making in many corporations where the duty to the shareholder overrides all other considerations, the real issue is the close but often hidden links between companies such as Nestle and charities such as the A&AA. There is a need for all funding sources and amounts from companies to be transparent and available on their website to ensure that such donations are above board and the charity is not mistakenly characterised as part of a public relations strategy by companies such as Nestle rather than servicing the needs and lobbying for of the children that need their protection. I would be interested to learn whether the medical advisory board for A&AA have endorsed this new position.

Commenter

storyboy

Location

Sydney

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 1:57PM

Why is it the food manufacturers problem? Surely the parents of any kid with a nut allergy should educate the child not to share food.Why do my kids have to miss out on foods they like so the cotton-wool brigade can feel better. I agree there are risks associated with food allergies, but parents are the ones that have the responsibility, not Neslte.Otherwise any product that has the potential to harm needs to be banned - cars, tobacco, alcohol, cutlery, tennis balls, cricket bats...

Commenter

Scotty

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:02PM

isn't it about time that parents of children with allergies take some responsibility for their kids. Our kids are not allergic and I feel sorry for those kids that are, but we have taught our kids to not eat food out of other peoples lunches nor are they to give or let other kids take their lunches. Whilst nut allergies are very serious, surely there has to be aline drawn where companies, schools, teachers and parents need to just simply say" teach your kids what they can and can't eat".

Commenter

Bit sick of it really

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 2:02PM

1. Kids don't always do as they are told, especially if they are only in kindie or primary school. 2. Please STOP trying to blame "Bad parents" for kids that eat other people's food and have an allergic reaction, because that is what you're implying. 3. You don't have kids with nuts allergy so obviously you haven't seen the effect that simply "Touching" a product that had nuts can do to some kids with nuts allergies. my daughter had to go to emergency after she touched a biscuit containing cashew nut and then rubbed her eye, her eye was immediately swollen and soon she had problem breathing.

Keep School Safe for our kids

Commenter

Jarod

Location

NSW

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:21PM

Unfortunately it's not that simple. This is a life or death situation. I teach my child every single day, she has lived with anaphylaxis for 4 years and always handled it well. Yet last year she deliberately ate food that wasn't safe for her on 5 occasions!

someone once said to me;

Children do need to look after themselves in a real world but we hold their hands and teach them how to cross a road carefully for years before we let them cross alone.

Commenter

Allergy Parent

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:27PM

I know this is going to sound a little odd to some people, however the sad fact of the matter is that peanut allergy can be so bad that some people only have to breathe in the peanut smell that can contain particles to get an allergy reaction. The same way that some people get hayfever from breathing in pollen, and asthma from smelling some perfumes.It is a very tricky allergy, and I do feel sorry for children who are not allergic to peanuts that are told they can't eat peanuts at school.My child was one of the first that my Dr had seen with a peanut allergery years ago.Since then it has become common place.Both my Dr and I quickly worked out what had caused it, because my child had accidentally been given a double dose of a newly introduced medical preventative medicine which he shouldn't have been given. However I'm not going in to what that was because it causes too much controversy.He really struggled a school because people had never heard of "peanut allergy" and didn't believe in it, however he did survive because he always had medicine with him, and a tag on his arm, and as he has gotten older checks everything all the time.It is a worry that schools have to continually monitor food etc. I feel

Commenter

Beetroot

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:38PM

I'm sorry @Bit, but unless you follow your young child around the school grounds all day there is no way you can guarantee they won't take food from another kid's lunch (or be offered food by another child). It doesn't matter how often you say "Don't eat anybody elses food", a 5 or 6 year old will not even think about it.If you had a child with nut allergies you would know the fear of having them eat a nut, something that can potentially kill them.A&AA and Nestle are extremely irresponsible and risking children's lives trying to convince schools to let nuts back in to school lunches

Commenter

BAT069

Location

PERTH

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:43PM

Not sure why you are sick of something that for others is a life and death situation. For me if that means not taking nuts and products containing nuts to school, it is not a problem. Not sure what more you are suggesting parents of these children do. I think you will find they are already doing everything they can. Are you also happy for a smoker to come and sit next to you and your children, light up a cigarette? You may be inclined to ask the smoker to be a little more considerate or choose to move you and your children, yet their second hand smoke is not going to kill you (unless you are suffering a severe respiratory condition that the smoker would not already be aware of).

Commenter

justme

Location

Newcastle

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 4:06PM

Maybe your readers should read this before commenting on what is above.

People need to keep in mind that Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia are a charity and have to get money from somewhere. Nestle are not the devil here. They have provided allergy friendly product information for years on their website. Who knows, maybe that was due to their association with A&AA?Coles have also been a sponsor in the past. Why would anyone make the assumption that due to the assocation that the products would be safe ?

Go to the A&AA and Nestle websites and read it for yourself, because Fairfax Media certainly have not done a good job providing it.

Commenter

The Real Story from an Allergy Parent

Date and time

January 16, 2014, 3:25PM

Its about risk management. My child has life threatening nut allergy, we discovered this after she consumed peanut butter for the first time, within 45 minutes she had stopped breathing and luckly I had noticed her hives and was in the doctors surgery and then ambulance when it happend. While I feel for the children who can't have peanut butter at school the reality is no school is going to want to be held responsible for the death of a child.